Help finding a shop in 1944 Hornsey Rise N19

[Mhillbilly]

I am looking for a particular shop on Hornsey Rise N19 in 1944 because on 10 July 1944 my dad was on the roof of that shop looking for V1 flying bombs.  The one he saw fell and exploded but he was unaware at the time it actually fell on his home.

I have posted on this topic before but had a wider search area based solely on being able to see Wightman Road in Hornsey from the roof.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=830941.0

Anyway as a 17 year old shop assistant in 1944 one of dad's duties was to watch for V1 from the roof of this shop.  Dad described the shop as an early version of a supermarket with greengrocer, grocer butcher baker under one roof.  It was 4 stories high and dad had to keep watch from the roof and sound the alarm if he saw a V1 coming.  They heard them as much as saw them
A recent development has been discussion with my uncle who remembered the story and going to work on a 41 bus and seeing the building as described by my dad every day on his journey.  This was when my uncle started work in the sixties.
The area today does not contain much from that time as urban redevelopment has replaced most of the street.
looking at a map of the time my uncle described it as on the left (east side) of the road when going down the road (towards Archway).
He described it as a parade of shops (general store with butcher, baker, green grocer etc) ,

Looking at the map the only likely contender in Hornsey Rise is nos 22-28 however the only directory I have access to is for 1937 and for some reason does not mention these properties.
In the same directory on the other side of the road no 7 and its suffixes as listed in the directory looks to be like my uncle described.  With these 60 year old memories there came a caveat that he thought of coming down Hornsey Rise to include its continuation into Hornsey Road.

Can anyone help in identifying the location.

thanks in advance
Tony

[Sandblown]

Have You viewed this Website ?

francisfrith.com/uk/hornsey

[Gibel]

Have you asked the Hornsey Historical Society?

www.hornseyhistorical.org.uk

[Mhillbilly]

Thanks for the suggestions
I am in New Zealand, so contact and access has its challenges.
The Hornsey Historical contact details are not helpful and Hornsey Rise is an area that kind of falls between the cracks. I have asked again with the more specific query.
francisfrith.com/uk/hornsey is too generic.
Stay safe in your latest lockdown

[Sandblown]

The block of four storey shops, fronting 493 Horsey Road N19, seems to match Your description. Can be seen on Google Street View.

[Mhillbilly]

Thanks sandblown for the suggestion
Even though I said about the continuation into Hornsey Road I did not check the directory

The buildings at the top end of Hornsey Road are survivors from that time and taking my uncles left (east side) of road into account that is the even nos. side. I have looked at the buildings and the directory and a likely candidate is 512.  There was a greengrocer's there in 1937.

I think I need to get more detail from a 1944 directory or as close as I can get to it to confirm what was there at the time.
Stay safe
 

[Sandblown]

For Your 'All In One Shop', it might be worth looking at Number 32 High Street, Hornsey. It was founded by David Creig (1865-1952) who commenced with a Grocer's Shop on that site, and went on to operate a chain of Supermarkets. The building however, is only three Storeys, but has a flat roof, with a possible view (?) across to where the V1 exploded.

[Mhillbilly]

Thanks Sandblown
My original research was based on a number of physical criteria as I did not know the locality.  These included ground height, sight lines to Wightman Rd, relative topography, the different speed of light and sound, and proximity to Wightman Road.  I had assumed that there where a number of localities that were too close, Turnpike Lane, Wood Green and Hornsey high streets being amongst the too close.  Hornsey High str. is about the same height above sea level as Wightman Rd and as the crow flies it is well under a mile and sight lines would be difficult.  Tottenham Lane is between them and over 30 ft higher .

The next criteria was the description of the shop, multiple stories at least 4 and a sloping roof for dad to lean back against and sight lines to the east, direction of travel for the V1, with unobstructed views all the way to Essex.

I had investigated a number of fore runners to the supermarkets such as David Creigs and again no luck. 

All the above were discussed in the original post.

Now I have more definitive information on the locality from my uncle I am happy to pursue the Hornsey Rise area as it fits all the other physical criteria.  It is about 50-60 feet higher than Wightman Rd and although close (1.3 miles as crow flies) the sight lines are not perfect because of the  height of Mount View Road so allowing for the fact that dad did not know exactly where it landed (maybe explaining that he was unaware it was on his home) and sight and sound travel times would have been disturbed.

Stay safe
 

[mirl]

1939 Register

512 Hornsey Road - Leslie & Lenna Whitehair - Fruiterer & greengrocer

514 Hornsey Road - Bertie & Amelia Forsdike - Grocer & provision merchant